Advanced Copywriting Guide | How to be a good copywriter?

Copywriting is not about creating words and sentences. Copywriting is actually speaking. It is about telling your target consumers who you are and why they should buy from you. You have to pretend that there is a consumer standing in front of you and listening to you.

Hannah Arendt said that mindless recklessness, hopeless confusion, or the complacent recitation of truths that have become empty and trivial - these seem to me to be the most striking characteristics of our time.

Kenichi Ohmae wrote a book specifically about this, saying that we have entered a "low IQ society." Although he was talking about the new generation in Japan, China is not much better.

The content people consume nowadays is becoming more and more childish. When they encounter something profound and difficult to understand, they give up instead of thinking about it. Some even start cursing in the criticism section: What the hell is this? They are easily manipulated by the media. Just look at how they frequently post messages on their friends’ circle .

Inhabitants of the digital age are losing their patience and ability to think abstractly. This is the result of the era of reading pictures, fast food culture, multi-threaded work, and fragmentation of daily time.

Look at today's hot topics: blockbusters, idol dramas, variety shows, entertainment gossip, chicken soup, melodramatic news, and abnormal and exaggerated social news. Consumers are accustomed to getting a lot of stimulation easily.

Rational thinking has given way to sensationalism, logical deduction cannot compare to stories, and deep philosophy cannot match chicken soup for the soul .

"In the near future, the public will lose the ability to think and judge independently. Eventually they will expect the media to think and judge for them," said Brzezinski, a senior American think tank who proposed the "pacifier" strategy.

As human beings, we should reflect.

As an advertiser, we can only cater to it.

After all, the goal of advertising is to expect brands to think for consumers and help them make purchasing decisions.

David Ogilvy warned, never treat consumers as fools.

But - never forget that they are.

Consumers are impatient and have lost the ability to think abstractly and deeply; they just want direct and easy stimulation and pleasure.

The Cannes Creative Awards treat advertising more like an intellectual game , which requires consumers to think in order to understand what the advertisement is actually saying. Such advertisements can only be entered into competitions and awards.

But the street advertisements around us need to grab consumers' attention within 1 second so that they can understand what the advertisement is about. Otherwise they will simply give up paying attention to the ad.

1. Concreteness is the first rule of good copywriting

A good copywriter should be wary of all abstract and grand concepts. Such as innovation, technology, taste, good life, creating a better tomorrow...

At the same time, a good copywriter should be hostile to adjectives, which are just descriptions but lack actual tangible things and behaviors.

For example, the travel advertisements I hate the most are:

(different...Australia)

(Pure... New Zealand)

(Showy...Korea)

(Unlimited...Japan)

(Wonderful...Indonesia)

The whole article is full of descriptions, but you have no idea what to do or what attractions are worth seeing or visiting.

A good copy should be concrete, intuitive, vivid and tangible, and should contain stories, plots and numbers.

1. Story

Consumers like stories. As early as tens of thousands of years ago, people were accustomed to sitting around the fire at night and sharing stories to find comfort from the darkness, wild beasts, hunger and cold that permeated the world. Stories brought people together to form powerful tribes with common beliefs and faiths.

The advertisement of Shanghai Huangjiu Wulixiang, which was once very popular, at the Shanghai People's Square subway station told a series of stories with the brand appeal: There are no strangers in Shanghai.

Wine is a catalyst of emotions and a lubricant of social interaction , it connects different people together.

Arowana Camellia Oil:

"At first, I thought it was a white Bordeaux."

The old man at the bar said to the listening bartender. His fingers tapped lightly on the wine glass, making a crisp sound.

"It was only after I put on my glasses that I could see the label clearly. That, that is a bottle of camellia oil!" A hint of subtle surprise flashed across the old man's calm face.

"Camellia oil?" The young bartender opened his eyes wide. Obviously, this went beyond the profession he was familiar with.

"Yes, it's camellia oil. There's a golden arowana on it!" The old man took a sip of wine. "You don't know, it looks an awful lot like Bordeaux." His eyes searched for something on the wine cabinet, then stopped peacefully on a bottle of Bordeaux wine. “Too much like him.”

"It was a gift from my granddaughter last Christmas . She had just returned from China. I only ate that kind of oil when I was a child. During every festival, my mother would use camellia oil to make a lot of delicious food." The old man's eyes suddenly revealed a childlike cuteness. "Camellia oil is a natural edible oil extracted from camellia fruit. It is so old that it has been recorded for as long as history can tell. My mother said it may be the best thing nature has left for us."

“That really can be compared to wine,” the bartender said.

"Of course. And it contains many natural nutrients. Only those who understand its inner qualities can appreciate it." The old man slowly shook the wine glass in his hand.

"That, like a fine glass of Bordeaux."

“Yes, in addition to Bordeaux, camellia oil has now become part of my daily life.”

The old man held the glass to his nose for a moment, then slowly put the last sip of Bordeaux into his mouth.

The bartender looked very benefited, and it was obvious that he had a new topic for the next customer.

2. Plot

Although stories are important, many times advertisements do not have enough information capacity to accommodate a story, there is not enough space, and there is not enough time. A 1-minute video TVC can tell a story, but a 15-second TV commercial can only tell one plot.

In literary works, plot refers to the performance and course of events, the gradual unfolding of a series of motivated life events.

But what I am saying is that the plot is the condensed story.

Plot = emotion + details.

It does not show the complete process of the occurrence and development of an event, but only suggests the key actions and changes of the event, that is, the core details of the event.

It does not describe a full and three-dimensional character, but only uses a few strokes to show the character's personality, relationships and emotions, that is, the character's core emotions.

For example, Yaha Coffee:

Catch the first bus, the last subway

Rushing to finish the manuscript, rushing to finish the work, rushing to finish the work

Spend a lifetime, hurry up

Yaha, relax.

Save money for a down payment

Save money and pay off your mortgage

Save money and lock yourself in a small house

Why not spend 3 square meters to travel across 9.6 million square kilometers?

Yaha, relax.

The Kite Runner See page 7

"Auntie Duohe" see page 13

Read email

Read the report

Look at the boss's face

Better, read a good book.

Yaha, relax.

Looking at this text, there is no complete story, but there are rich details that allow you to feel the identity and emotions of the person being described. Rushing to work and catching the subway, checking emails and watching the boss's face, paying the down payment and mortgage, this is the portrayal of white-collar workers who are working hard in cubicles in office buildings today.

Ant Fortune said, "Every day, we use a six-digit password to protect two-digit deposits." This is also a typical example of an incomplete story but with a rich and tangible plot.

Red Star’s “I’m not afraid of leaving, but I’m afraid of never coming back”, “The more I have nothing, the more determined I am”, “I was fearless before, but now nothing matters”, does not tell a story, but it allows you to extract the experiences and emotions of the people who moved to Beijing.

3. Numbers

There is no need to mention things like "When this Rolls-Royce is traveling at 60 kilometers per hour, the loudest noise comes from the electronic clock in the car", "There are 342 holes on the shoes, why are they still waterproof?" and "A tribute to the cows who get up at 4 a.m."

People are impetuous and like quick results and shortcuts. Among all copywriting, numbers are the most intuitive and vivid. You can quickly learn the essentials and achieve success in 4 steps. This is the disease of the times.

I don't like this kind of title , but it works.

You sit in front of your computer, open Word, and a serious voice in your heart reminds you: I'm going to start writing copy...

You definitely can’t write it.

Copywriting is not about creating words and sentences. Copywriting is actually speaking. It is about telling your target consumers who you are and why they should buy from you. You have to pretend that there is a consumer standing in front of you and listening to you.

What is bad copywriting? It’s not speaking human language.

Therefore, in order to write perfect copy, you must first know who you are talking to, so that you know what to say to him, the tone of speech, and what attitude should be used.

The Little Prince says,

If you say to adults, "I saw a beautiful house with red brick walls, sunflowers climbing on the windows, and pigeons perching on the roof..." they will not be able to imagine what the house looks like. You have to tell them, "I saw a house worth a hundred thousand francs." They will immediately shout, "What a beautiful house!"

Speak according to the person you meet, sing according to the mountain you are on, eat according to the food you eat, and tailor your clothes according to your body shape.

2. Object, this is the natural law of copywriting

When writing a copy, you must imagine what kind of person your target is, what kind of clothes he is wearing today, what kind of hairstyle he has, what he just had for breakfast, whether he lives alone or with his family, where he likes to go shopping, what apps he uses on his phone, whether he drives to get off work or takes the subway...

Now your target consumer is in the elevator and this person is standing in front of you.

Now I'll give you 3 minutes to sell him a product and introduce your brand. He will be out of the elevator in 3 minutes, and you only have 3 minutes to get him to take out his phone to pay the bill.

Now. Timing. start.

That’s what writing copy is all about.

The target audience not only determines what you want to communicate with him, but also determines the tone, tonality, attitude and style of your copy.

Nike said "I dare you" at the 2018 World Cup and "Go all in" at the 2014 World Cup

Fight, dare, charge, let go, and burn... These are the words that NIKE likes. It is communicating with a group of teenagers who are sweating profusely, can't stop, and have plenty of hormones in their bodies.

Taobao brands keep moving forward, saying "As long as we keep moving forward, we will always meet each other", saying:

When you are writing a PPT, the cod in Alaska are jumping out of the water;

When you are reading the report, the golden monkeys in Baima Snow Mountain just climbed to the top of the tree;

As you squeeze into the subway, the mountain eagles of Tibet are circling in the clouds;

While you quarreled in your memories, backpackers in Nepal raised their glasses of wine together by the fire.

There are some roads that you can’t walk on wearing high heels.

There is air that cannot be smelled even with perfume,

There are some people you will never meet in an office building.

Only by going out for a walk will you discover that there is a different world and a different you out there.

It is talking to a group of literary young women, and it has an attitude and tone that never stops.

The car brand Buick has four sedans, Excelle, Verano, Regal and LaCrosse.

LaCrosse is a C-class car, a mid-to-large size, positioned as a luxury sedan, aimed at successful people.

Regal is a B-class car, a mid-size car, targeting the new middle class.

Yinglang and Weilang are A-class cars, compact, entry-level sedans, targeting salaried white-collar workers and are the first cars for young people.

The product style of Verano is more dynamic, fashionable and coupe-style. As I understand it, Yinglang is aimed at married people with children, while Weilang is aimed at unmarried singles.

For successful people, Junyue says "no noise, but a voice of its own" and "think differently"

Aiming at the new middle class, Regal is "ahead of the curve"

Regarding married white-collar workers, Yinglang said, "I understand what you say, and I understand what you don't say."

For unmarried young people, Weilang says "Born to run"

This is a typical example of different groups of people, different styles, different attitudes, and different tones.

Before writing the copy, the target audience has already determined the angle and tone of your copy.

The brain's perception of the world is not a copycat.

Kawakami Yosei said in his book "Why Totoro's Stomach Is Soft":

“We often ask what is the essence of things. When things are symbolized and expressed with simplified data, the essence of things appears. Why do we want to know the essence? Because the human brain can only understand simple information.

Isn't this the 'essence' of essence?

The human brain combines simple information that embodies essence into impressions and uses them to understand the world. ”

Good copywriting extracts the essential characteristics of the product, symbolizes the brand, and through simple information combinations allows consumers to form an impression and understand the brand.

3. Image, this is the essential rule of copywriting

In 2004, in order to convey Volkswagen’s new global brand proposition “For the love of automobiles”, Volkswagen launched the Chinese version of “Chinese Roads, Volkswagen Hearts” in China.

Although Volkswagen has launched many car models and shot countless commercials over the years, this advertisement is an eternal classic in the history of Volkswagen advertising.

Its filming cost tens of millions of yuan, a total of 263 actors were mobilized, 18 scenes were produced, and 13 Volkswagen models at the time appeared: the fourth-generation Golf, Passat B5, Jetta, Sharan, Santana 3000, POLO sedan, Golf, Phaeton, POLO hatchback, Bora, Touareg, New Beetle convertible, and New Beetle.

This video consists of 13 Chinese characters, one for each car model:

1. Golf: Loyalty
2. Passat Passat:
3. Jetta:
4. Sharan:
5. Santana: Hui
6. Polo Sedan: Want
7. Gol: Smart
8. Phaeton: wisdom
9. Polo hatchback: leisurely
10. Bora: Feeling
11. Touareg:
12. Beetle:
13. New Beetle Convertible: Love

• Golf is loyal to you
• Passat is determined to make progress
• Jetta is diligent
• Santana affordable national car
• Sharan's elegant appearance
• Gore is smart
• Phaeton understands
• Polo dares to think and act, and is at ease
• Bora is born with a sense of touch
• Touareg goes wherever you want
• The New Beetle is lovable
• Each car represents Volkswagen's sincere efforts.

"Heart" creates a symbol for Volkswagen, conveying Volkswagen's responsibility, love and focus.

It not only fully demonstrates the characteristics of various Volkswagen products, but also perfectly shapes the status and image of the Volkswagen brand in China. It has become the best annotation of Volkswagen's magic car.

Visa is the world's largest international credit card organization, a global payment and financial services network established by banks and other financial institutions around the world. Credit cards with the Visa logo can be used in most countries around the world, regardless of which country's bank issued the card, eliminating the hassle and security risks of carrying cash and exchanging foreign currency when traveling around the world.

In 2008, Visa was naturally the first to bear the brunt of the global financial crisis, facing enormous pressure and challenges. So Visa decided to launch a global advertising campaign.

Faced with the crisis, people no longer spend money lavishly like they did in the past, let alone travel and consume abroad.

So, how do we encourage people to consume? Visa is determined to find those who are still optimistic, dreaming and eager to take action even in a challenging economic environment, and to invite them and encourage them to make the most of every day of their lives.

Visa uses one word to express this determination and attitude of just going anywhere - GO.

This word is also used to convey VISA's product proposition: with a VISA card, you can travel around the world without fear.

Go with Visa. Take action with your Visa.

Visa's global advertising agency has always been BBDO, which has been working with Visa for 20 years.

It was not until 2006 that TBWA finally snatched Visa's agency business from BBDO. By 2009, in a new round of competition, TBWA won the business through the "GO" campaign and consolidated its partnership with Visa. "More People Go with Visa" also became Visa's first global integrated advertising campaign.

This shows the importance of "GO". GO only consists of two letters, but it has become a symbol representing Visa around the world, vividly expressing Visa's security, autonomy and convenience.

Good copywriting is to shape the brand image through symbolic text, deepen people's impression of the brand, and form a psychological imprint.

Concreteness, object, and image, these are the three concepts of a good copywriter.

Author: Kongshou, authorized to publish by Qinggua Media .

Source: Empty Hands (ID: firesteal13)